Grinding apparatus



Mmhw, 1929. E,J,POPE l 1,705,996

GRINDING APPARATUS Filed June V, 19:27

4I N VEN TOR.

BY wa.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 19 1929.

,PATENT OFFICE. j

EDWARD J'. POPIlil,4 OF ST. 'IOSEPH, MICHIGAN.

GBINDING IAQPPAB/ATUS.

Application led' I une 7,

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for separating and grinding the fibers of materials such as pulp or the like and is directed more particularly to improvements in the construction of the separating `or rinding elements thereof.

e principal features of the invention are adapted for broad application but 1n the 'present preferred form of the invention the novel features thereof will be shown and de-v scribed in connection with an apparatus for separating and grinding the fibers of lWood pulp, chips or the like. In 'tlieform shown, the machine has relatively rotatable grinding members in the form of cooperating discs which are so constructed and arranged as to separate or grin'd material received therebeftween and to deliver therefrom the material in a finely ground and separated state.

One obj ect of the invention is the provision of an apparatus forgrinding material that is so constructed and arranged that the cut ting or grinding elements cooperate with a shearing action so as to eifect a separation of the fibers of the material without cutting or injuring them to any appreciable entent.

Another object of the invention 1s the provision of an apparatus which is adapted for a continuous operation in that it will receive, grind or separate fibers 0f the material and deliver the fibers therefrom in this separated condition without the necessity of stopping the machine for reloading.'

A further object: of thej invention is the provision of .a grinding disc which has a series of grinding or abrasive surfaces separated by channels for feeding material to be ground to the surfaces and, as a distinguishing feature, the channelsV terminate at a distance from the periphery of the disc so that material will not be thrown from the channels during the operation of the apparatus but will all pass between the abrasive elements and be ground. In prior art ymachines having the channels, a considerable lportion of the niaterial is thrown outwardly therefrom against the walls of the casing with considerable force. This not onlyv wears away the ogsbut a large percentage of the material escapes without being subjected to the grmd ing action. According to my invention, by closing up the ends of the channels as I 51o, all of the material is caused to pass between the grinding elements. In actual practice, with prior art machines approximately one sixth- 1927. Serial' No. 197,132.

of the material is thrown from the channels without being ground while by the use of my Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section view through a machine embodying the features ofA my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view at small scale of a portion of one of the grinding elements there0f. Y

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 represents a casing which may be called a chest and which has an inlet openingl for the material to be ground, and an outlet opening O while a drain opening in the lower side thereof isnormally closed by a plug 2.

The chest 1s shown as'being fixed to and supported by a bed plate B which also serves as a support for bearing standards 3 and 4. This base also functions as a tie member to hold the standards and chest in properly spaced and-suitably aligned relation.

A rotatable shaft 5 which is slidable'in the bearing standard 3 has its forward en d arrangedA for a rotating and sliding move- Lment through a side of the chest by passsing through a suitable stuffing box or packing gland construction, as indicated at '6. This is provided'to prevent a leakage of material around or by the shaft as it rotates'or is moved back-and forth ^during the operation of the apparatus.

vA movable shaft'bearing member 7 is slidable within the bearing standard 4 and receives the rear end of the rotatable shaft 5.

member during the rotation of said shaft and i so that the shaft may be moved by the meinber 7 back and forth as may be desired. An

adjusting screw 10 rotatable'with respect to the bearing bracket 4 but held from a'relative endwise movement therein has its threaded forward end in engagement with a suit-4 able socket of the movable bearing 7 while a hand wheel 11k is fixed to the outer end thereof. As will be observed, a rotation of the wheel in one direction or the other will move the shaft back or forth as may be desired for the purpose as will later be described. A pulley 12 fixed to the shaft 5 as shown, may be belted to a motor, line shaft or other power supply means as may be desired for a rotation of the shaft at any desired or required speed.

It will be readily appreciated that the bearing standards:v and chest may be secured to a floor or the like in lieu of the bed plate shown and that any other means may be provided for rotating said shaft and for facilitating its movement back and forth in order to obtain the required spacing of the grinding elements which are now to be described.

A flange 15 fixed by a key 15 or the like, to the end of the shaft 5 carries, and has v fixed to it, a separating or grinding element or member 16 while a sfo-called stationary element 17 which is similar thereto is fixed to and supported in alignment therewith by the chest 1. Each of the elements 16 and 17 may be fixed to their respective supports by the screws shown in dotted lines or by any other means desired. The elements may be exactly alike so as to be interchangeable but to suit various conditions may be varied to considerableextent without departing 'from the general structural features. As shown in the preferred embodiment of the invention these elements 16 and 17 are similar in form and each preferably comprises a metal plate or base in the form of a disc or wheel 20. An axial central opening or orifice 21 is provided through the plate 20 and ribs or flanges 22 are provided on one face thereof which extend upwardly therefrom and that are disposed generally radially thereon butpreferably in a tangential relation so as to provide a plurality of channels 23 alternating with a plurality of slots 24. The ribs 22 are preferably connected at 22 as shown, so as to provide an end wall to each of the channels which is disposed within the periphery of the disc so that material in the channels will not be thrown from the ends of the channels as one of the discs rotates with respect to the other. In prior art machines, a large percentage of the material is thrown out at the ends of the channels in an unground state. Therefore, to overcome this and to insure that all the ma.- terial is acted upon by the separating and grinding elements, I provide the ribs 22 as described. To direct the material to be ground along the channels and so that it will not be pocketed at the end of the channels at the jointure of the'ribs 22 and 22 with plate 20, I provide filler members F which may be of any suitable material secured to the plate in the channels between the ribs, or they may be made an integral part of the plate, as may be desired.

These fillers 'F are preferably wedgeshaped and exten-d from the opening 21 of the disc to-the ribs 22 and provide a gradually i elevating bottom for the channels so that the material is directed upwardly over the ribs 22 at the ends of the channels.

The slots 24 and the spaces out-side the ribs 22 are filled with abrasive sections or with an abrasive material A in a plastic condition which', on drying, will provide a plurality of wedge-shaped sections separated by the `channels which are joined together at their outer ends and having an abrasivesurface of any characteristic desired, depending on the material employed.

By arranging the ribs to extend outwardly from the opening 21 of the disc, the channels 23 are made to extend radially thereof so as to be adapted to conduct material therethrough for delivery into the space between the grinding elements.

The ribs 22 and 22 perform an extremely useful function in that they act as reinforcement for the sides of the grinding sections and serve to protect the somewhat friable edges of the abrasive material against undue wear or breakage during the operation of the apparatus, while at the same time the ribs of one disc cooperate with those of the other with a shearing action to separate the fibers of th`c material as it flows upwardly from the channels and onto the abrasive surfaces. The ribs 22 are not necessary and may be omitted, if desired. l

It will be obvious that the spacing of the ribs may be varied from that shown to provide channelsand slots of various relative Widths so as to adapt t-he discs for various grinding operations.

In the operation of the apparatus, power is applied to the shaft 5 and the disc 16 is rotated relatively to the disc 17 and the shaft is adjusted or moved either back or forth by the screw 10 to provide the desired or required spacing between the working faces of the discs. rllhis spacing will be dependent on the degree of separation of the fibers reuired and also upon the characteristics of t e material being Worked on which may be any fibrous material such as wood chips, textile Waste, screenings, etc.

Material is introduced through the inlet opening I of the chest and may, if desired, com rise a substantial proportion of various or esired liquid to facilitate the separating action or it may well be desired to introduce a liquid for lubrication, bleaching or other purposes.

As the disc 16 is rotated with yrespect to the disc 17 the alternate channels and abrasive sections of one disc pass over the channels and sections of the other so that the material is drawn through the central opening 21 into the various channels 2 3. From the channels 23 the material is carried over the ribs 22 which by their relative rotation cooperate with a shearin action, to separate the fibers which are acted and ground to the state desired. The ground material travels outwardly across the abrasive surfaces and is delivered into the chamber of the chest from which it may be conveyed through the opening O to any point desired.

As will be observed, I have provided grinding discs which are constructed and arranged to have a plurality ofvcoacting edges which cooperate with a shearing action and areso formed as to facilitate the transfer onto the abrasive surfaces.

I alu aware that many changes may be made in the form of the invention without departing from the scope thereof and I therefore pre er t0 be limited by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What I claim is:

1. A grinding disc comprising in combination, a plate having a central axial opening, tangential ribs projecting upwardly from va face of said plate and extending from said opening to a point spaced from the periphery of said plate so as to form a plurality of tangentially disposed alternate feed channels and abrasive receiving slots, abrasive 1naterial in said slots extending past the outer ends of said ribs to form a ring like abrasive surface and the bottom of said channels tapering u Wardly from said plate and merging with t e upper surface of the abrasive mateupon by the abrasive surfaces g ria-1 adjacent the ends of said ribs and at a distance from the eriphery of the disc.

2. A grinding disc comprising in combination, a disc having a central axial opening therethrough, ribs projecting from a face of said disc which extend from Athe opening therein to points spaced from the outer periphery thereof, the said ribs being disposed tangentially and in a diverging relation on said disc to provide a plurality of alternate feed channels and. abrasive receiving slots which have their'inner ends in communication with the opening of the disc and are disdisc to form a ring-like abrasive surface, and

the bottom Walls of said feed channels being inclined upwardly and outwardly away from the disc at the opening thereof so as to merge with the plane of the upper sides of the circumferential ribs whereby material in said feed channels may be directed upwardly and posed tangentially of said disc and taper outwardly onto the face of the abrasive ma- 1 terial. l

Intestimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

EDWARD J. POPE. 

